July 6, 2009

2009 Soccer Schedule (PDF)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois soccer team announced its 2009 schedule on Monday, with head coach Janet Rayfield's squad slotted for a challenging slate that includes 10 opponents that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament. The Illini are coming off a 2008 campaign where they advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the third time in program history.

"The 2009 schedule has everything you could want for the team, the program, the players and fans," Rayfield said. "We will be challenged in every game with almost every opponent making the NCAA Tournament in 2008. After an in-state rival game to open the season, fans will see us compete as one of the top programs in the country against UCLA, another one of the top programs in the country. We will play in one of the nation's top venues for atmosphere in Portland, and provide our fans an opportunity to match that atmosphere with an exciting and challenging home conference schedule that opens with Minnesota on SoccerFest Sunday. The 2009 Fighting Illini soccer team has high expectations and lofty goals, and the slate of opponents shows it."

After hosting Cincinnati in a preseason game on Aug. 14, the Orange and Blue officially open the 2009 season at home against Illinois State on Aug. 21. The Illini next head to the DU Invitational for a pair of match-ups against 2008 NCAA Tournament participants, facing Colorado on Aug. 28 and host Denver on Aug. 30.

The annual Illini Challenge Cup Presented by Gameday Spirit will be held at the Illinois Soccer Stadium on Sept. 4 and 6, featuring one of the most exciting fields in tournament history. The Illini will host perennial power UCLA - a 2008 NCAA College Cup participant under the direction of former UI head coach Jillian Ellis - on Sept. 4, then play UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 6. Florida, which advanced to last year's NCAA Round of 16, will also travel to Champaign for the Illini Challenge Cup to face UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

The Illini will face another pair of top-tier opponents the next weekend when they travel to Portland, Ore. for the Nike Portland Invitational. The Illini are scheduled to face Portland on Sept. 11 and Washington on Sept. 13. The Orange and Blue return home for games on Sept. 18 and 20, rounding out the non-conference schedule in hosting Loyola and UW-Milwaukee.

The Illini's conference season begins on Sept. 27 with 2008 co-Big Ten Champion Minnesota coming to town. The Big Ten opener will also be donned as SoccerFest, with festivities scheduled throughout the day to promote Illinois soccer. The Illini will then play three of their next four games on the road, traveling to Purdue and Indiana on Oct. 2 and 4, returning home to face Wisconsin on Oct. 11 and then traveling to Iowa on Oct. 17. After a home game against Ohio State on Oct. 22, the Illini will travel to University Park, Pa. for a showdown against Penn State on Oct. 25. Illinois' final home weekend of the year will be on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 with games against Michigan State and Michigan. The Orange and Blue will close out the regular season on Nov. 6 at Northwestern.

The NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds will be held from Nov. 13-15, with the NCAA College Cup scheduled from Dec. 4-6 in College Station, Texas. There will be no Big Ten Tournament this season for the first time in 15 years.